Widows
by myrninxmorganvillevampiresx
Summary: As the title says. Don't know if it will be a one shot or full story, depending on reviews to make up my mind. (That means get reviewing!)
1. Chapter 1

Two girls. Two soldiers. Two warriors. Two pale, tear streaked faces. Two widows.

Amelie stared, not uncompassionate, at the two young women asleep on the floor. Curled up, with their arms wrapped tight around each other even in sleep, she was yet again astounded at their strength. Although what other option they had, but to be strong, she did not see. The world was a different place to what it had been two years ago.

"_She watche_d _as Fallon pulled out a copy of the abhorrent machine she had heard so much about from Myrnin, who had confessed to allowing Claire to build it, if under good intentions. From a human standpoint, at least. She wasn't surprised when he pointed it at her. The amount of energy it was giving off was detectable even to her, who was stood at least three feet away. He pushed the trigger, but before anybody could react, a body threw itself in the path of the effects. For a moment, she assumed it had been Oliver. The height was similar, as was the shape. But it was in fact, Morley. For some incomprehensible reason, he had seen fit to protect her. Still, no time for hesitation. Even as she thought it, Oliver was moving, grabbing Fallon, ripping the gun out of his hands, shattering it into a thousand pieces over his knee._

_It cost him his life. _

_The Daylighter who had pulled Lady Grey up to the stage pulled out a silver stake and attempted it to drive it into Oliver's chest. He easily grabbed it and threw the man off the stage. It would have ended there, had Fallon not rediscovered his courage. Like herself, he was not expecting it and this error allowed Myrnin's failure to pick up a discarded stake and put it in his back. Oliver may have survived that, at least for a while, had he not pulled it back out… which triggered the release of the liquid silver solution inside."_

A man calling her name brought her back to the present. She turned, and saw Myrnin in the doorway. The spider, as some of the humans called him, had drastically changed since the beginning of the war. The madman was gone, and in his place stood a general. Black clothes, black hair, pulled into a practical tail at the back of his head. Some wisps had escaped and framed his face, highlighting his sharp cheekbones and cool grey eyes. Grey, like Oliver's. She felt something then, not akin to what she felt when her beloved Sam died, but something deeper. Sam had been part of her life for less than a century, much of which she had regretfully spent at a distance. Oliver… he had been there almost from the beginning.

"What is it, Myrnin?" Although she spoke softly, Claire stirred, lifting her head up. As she watched, Amelie saw the first few moments of confusion, before the bliss of ignorance was lifted and reality entered once again. The reality of the war. Of the loss of allies. Of the loss of her husband.


	2. Chapter 2

Bleary, confused. Swallowing, why was her throat so sore? Then came remembrance, horror.

_Shane._

Claire's breath caught in her throat, and tears surged forwards to trickle down her eyes, like water under pressure. The room was blurry and unfocused, so she didn't realise there was anyone else until he knelt down, took her hand. Turning her head and blinking revealed it to be Myrnin. One of her oldest friends. They seemed to be in short supply lately. The thought broke the dam, and her small frame was racked with sorrow.

Without question, he took her in his arms, rubbing her back, not saying anything, just letting her get it out. It took a while, but she eventually sniffled and forced the last of the tears back inside. Still hiccupping, but that was better than yesterday. Memories of coming back to base, collapsing against a wall, unable to support her weight, and the uncontrollable, unending tears. Myrnins kind, gentle eyes looked worriedly at her. She wiped away the last traces of sadness and stood, aided not in small by Myrnins hand on her elbow. Even standing seemed like a herculean effort. The question she had been trying to avoid popped up.

_How do I get through this day?_

Food. Food what was she needed, even if she didn't want any. Nodding at Myrnin, he stepped back, and she went to the kitchen. Mechanically, she put bread in the toaster, set it to its preferred setting. Wandering out again, she was in danger of becoming lost again, until she spotted the small, hunched figure sitting against the wall. She had totally, selfishly forgotten that she wasn't the only one suffering today. Going towards Eve, she noticed her best friends eyes were already open, but unseeing. Claire shook silently at the pain and horror in them.

_How am I supposed to deal with her pain on top of my own?_ A small, insistent part of her complained. She shook it off, and forced herself to approach Eve. Clearing her throat brought those blank eyes to her. With the action, the fog cleared and Claire almost physically saw Eve realise. It was like watching a mirror image of herself. With a cry, Eve lunged towards her, and Claire gripped her in a hug, feeling like she was the only thing anchoring Eve here, in the present. She became Eve's Myrnin, rubbing her back, waiting for the racking sobs to subside. It took longer for Eve than it had Claire, but then she had always been the one with more control over her emotions.

Eve did stop, and pulled back, wiping her face with the sleeve of her top. Sniffing heavily, she looked at Claire, and she saw the same question repeated there. Taking her elbow, Claire guided her to the kitchen, where her earlier toast sat, uneaten. Placing Eve in a chair, she got it out and spread some butter on it before putting in on a plate and sliding it towards her. "Eat" she said softly. Eve picked it up, hesitated, then put it back. "I can't" she whispered softly. Claire didn't press it, because she knew exactly why. Her appetite was nowhere to be found either. Sighing softly, she slid into the adjacent chair and took her friends hand. They sat in a deep thoughtful silence, reflecting on the past.

"_The armoured truck rattled and jerked as it was driven into the grounds of the college. "They really need to look into some damn shocks for this thing" Shane muttered. "Yeah, I'm sure that's right next on their list of important things to do", Michael replied "Get shocks for Shanes comfort". "Jackass" he replied, but with the friendly banter that came with years of friendship. The joking was a strategy, a way for them to distract themselves from the huge impossible mission in front of them. Attacking Daylighters was risky. Attacking Daylighters in the middle of the day, that was insane. And attacking them in the middle of their stronghold, well that…. The boys didn't need to be told the chances of coming back alive. Of coming back at all. _

_Eve had tight hold of Michaels hand, so tight Shane could see the white skin, devoid of blood. Claire had the only chair in the vehicle, out of necessity, for the ridiculously big laptop she held open in front of her. "Okay", she said, looking calm and in control as she assessed the screen. "We're in. They don't know we're here. Not from the cameras, heat sensors, motion detectors or pressure sensors anyway". She looked up, and shot a shaky grin at him. In that grin, he could see how cared she really was. "That's my girl" Shane said and winked. "Get a room, you guys" Eve said, her fear bleeding into her voice and making it shake. "Got one" Claire shot back, and smiled reassuringly at her friend. Eve seemed to take some comfort in that, and stood a little straighter, a bit more relaxed. _

_Suddenly, the car slowed. They exchanged sharp glances. They weren't due to stop for another ten minutes. As quickly as the car slowed, it sped up, soon surpassing its previous speed. "What the hell?" Shane blurted, and stumbled over to the front of the truck. Banging on the wall that connected to the drivers compartment, he yelled. "Hey, what's happening?" There was no reply, but the silence was ominous enough. The soundproofing was only enacted when in a hostile situation, say, getting shot at. It was out of precaution, because the sound of a bullet hitting the outside of the car could make a person deaf. "Well, crap" Claire breathed, before furiously typing on her laptop, somehow still able to hold it even through the bumpy ride. Eve yelped as her head banged off the roof, and Michael pulled her down, bracing themselves in the corner. Shane held on to the overhead straps, and Claire was held securely in place by the harness attaching to the seat, although she was still getting thrown around a bit. "Shit!" she suddenly exclaimed "Shit shit shit! No!" His stomach dropping out from under him, Shane managed to get over and look at the screen of the laptop. It showed what looked like a series of cameras and on one of them… "Is that us?" he asked flatly. "Yes" Claire replied, a bite to her voice. The screen in particular showed a large, armoured truck racing at high speed across the grass square of the university, leaving muddy tracks in its wake. "How Is that even possible?" Eve asked, her voice high. "I thought the cameras were disabled!" "They were!" Claire said, "At least they would have been if the codes I was given were right." They all went silent as they processed her words. _

"_You mean…" Michael said, his voice showing how shaken he was. "Yeah" Claire said. "We've been betrayed." They were hurtling at crazy speed, in the middle of Dayligher territory, in the middle of the day. Yeah, Shane thought. No need to tell us the chance of getting out of this one. _


	3. Chapter 3

Claire blinked away the fresh sheen of moisture forming in her eyes, and wiped at them angrily. What was getting upset going to do? Michael and …. She couldn't even think about him. If she thought his name, it would unleash a thousand other things, thing she wasn't prepared for, his laugh, his smile, his fierce love for her…

Standing suddenly, causing her chair to scrape across the chair nosily, she startled Eve out of what had evidently been her own recount of the events the day before. She realised she hadn't even thought about the cause of the tragedy, how they had been found out – or who was responsible. "We were given the wrong codes" she said slowly. Eve stared at her with dark eyes. "That shouldn't have been possible. We have surveillance in all their command centres, we would have known if they changed the codes." Eve stood now, gripping the table hard. "So we were betrayed" she said flatly. Claire nodded, it was the only explanation. "Someone in this building is responsible, then." Claire nodded a second time.

"Then let's go find the bastard that killed our family."


End file.
